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It's said that the roots of
many of the Martial Arts is in India, with Buddhist monks.
While many sources give conflicting data, it's known that
in Japan, the only places that were large enough to allow
for indoor training during inclement weather, were the
huge Buddhist temples. In fact, much of what is done in
Martial Arts schools with a Japanese background comes
from, and can be traced back to this connection.
For example, white uniforms
were the attire of Japanese Buddhist monks and lay-people
alike. The kyu and dan "class" and
"level" grade rankings were originally developed
for and used as markers for how much a monk had learned
and progressed through his training. And, much of the
etiquette within dojos "training halls") is
identical to those used in these same temples to show
respect to all that has gone before me and to all that I
aspire to become. In fact, the Japanese kanji characters
used to write the word 'dojo' actually refer to "a
place where enlightenment takes place."
Now, before you run out and
scream about quitting for fear of being converted to
Buddhism, Hinduism, or some other 'foreign', sacrilegious
cult - don't panic. Buddhism, while often practiced like
many conventional Western religions, is not really a
religion at all - at least not the way most people define
or practice a so-called 'religion'.
As developed by the founder
Siddhartha Gautoma, refered to as the Buddha ("one
who is awake"), and fine-tuned over the past two and
a half - plus centuries, Buddhism is a philosophy of
personal development whereby the practitioner works to
understand his or her true nature and the immutable laws
of the universe that govern the world and everything in
it. It is not at all a belief system as are many religions
today, but instead relies on the student coming to an
intimate understanding of reality and truth through
direct, personal experience.
One of the monks credited
with developing martial Arts in the Buddhist temples of
the time was known as Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen.
This new training was readily adopted by the monks for
many reasons. And while the monks may have been interested
in defending themselves from unfriendly outsiders, it is
also likely that they also wished to prepare themselves
for the demands of their daily lives - lives which
required that they sat unmoving for hours while in deep
meditative practice. The Martial arts they practiced were
a great means of physical exercise while still being based
heavily on their philosophical beliefs of peace through
"understanding conflict."
Zen, the most popular form
of Buddhist thought known today, is directly related to
the cross-cultural interchange between Martial Arts and
the many philosophical systems that came together as these
teachings travelled from India, across the Himalayas,
through China and into Japan. Ironically, many Westerners
have no idea that Zen is a form of Buddhist study and
practice, nor is it usually seen as much more than
"seated meditation" to most martial artists -
both teachers and students.
Japanese Zen Master Taisen
Deshimaru often wrote about Zen and the principles of
Bushido, or "the way of the warrior," which
grew, in part, out of Buddhist thought.
The principles of:
Gi: Having the right
decision, right attitude, the truth
Yu: Bravery tinged with
heroism
Jin: Universal love;
compassion
Rei: Right action; courtesy
Makoto: Utter sincerity;
truthfulness
Meiyo: Honor; high ethical
character
Chugo: Devotion; loyalty
were the common ground
between the monk and the warrior. In fact, there is no
difference between the two.
Deshimaru emphasized that
the learning and practice of these principles is a
lifelong process, and needs to take place "...in the
body, through the unconscious." The ancient tradition
of the Martial Arts is an internal process, a gradual
connection with one's own deep-seated intuition. Deshimaru
explains: "In the spirit of Zen . . .everyday life
becomes a contest. There must be an awareness at every
moment: getting up in the morning, working, eating, going
to bed. That is the place for the mastery of self."
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About
The Author
Jeffrey
M. Miller is the founder and master
instructor of Warrior Concepts
International. A senior teacher in the
Japanese warrior art of Ninjutsu, he
specializes in teaching the ancient ways
of self-protection and personal
development lessons in a way that is
easily understood and put to use by modern
Western students and corporate clients.
Through their martial arts training, his
students and clients learn proven,
time-tested lessons designed to help them
create the life they've always dreamed of
living, and the skills necessary for
protecting that life from anything that
might threaten it. To learn more about
this and other subjects related to the
martial arts, self-defense, personal
development & self-improvement, visit
his website at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com |
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